Yahoo News The Essex city whose residents are among the smartest in the UK
A new study reveals the brainiest areas in England - with one Essex city ranking within the top 20. The research conducted by education experts at UTS Online, analysed level eight attainment rates for GCSE and A-Level exams in England’s biggest towns and cities, higher education qualification rates, and vocational qualification certificate numbers to establish England’s brainiest areas.
The coastal city of Southend-on-Sea came in at rank 16, beating the likes of Bristol, Darlington, Birmingham and Sheffield with a 34.14 score. Bath comes out on top as the brainiest area in England with a 42.80 score. The city had the highest population percentage with a higher education degree or higher, at 58.04%.
It also managed to place in the top ten for both A-Levels and GSCE exams, achieving an average score of 52.2%. Similarly, the city is in the top ten for the most NVQ certificates. All these factors make the city top of the pile in both intelligence and education. Situated in upon Berkshire, Slough comes in second place for the brainiest town in England with a 40.34 score.
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This town is a cut above others when it comes to professional achievements, as it has the highest percentage of residents with NVQ certificates. As for exam qualifications, nationally, this town is second only to Southend-on-Sea for its high GSCE scores.
Gateshead follows third on the list with a score of 37.91. Although the town just misses out on the top ten for both A-Level and GSCE exams, it is third in the country for both the highest percentage of residents with higher education degrees, and vocational qualification certificates. These impressive scores contribute to Gateshead's status as the third brainiest area in England.
London, England's capital city, secures the fifth spot in the rankings with a score of 36.87. It boasts a respectable average GSCE score of 52.81, placing it fifth in England. Additionally, London ranks seventh for the highest percentage of degree holders. However, it falls slightly behind for the number of NVQ certificates, landing in 20th place.
Oxford, famous for its prestigious university and vast libraries, follows on the list with a score of 35.54. Its academic reputation might be one of the reasons why the city has the second highest rate of residents with a higher education degree, over 4,000 per 10K residents. The city also performed well on its GSCE exams, almost achieving an average score of 50.
Rounding off the top ten with a 35.26 score is York. Students in the city are performing well in their exams, ranking fourth for their GSCE exams and fifth for their A-Levels. However, York seems to be bottom of the pile for NVQ certificate rates, which does negatively impact its ranking on the list.
